In 1947, Lombardi became the coach of freshman teams in football and basketball at Fordham University. The following year he served as an assistant coach for Fordham's varsity football team, but he was arguably the de facto head coach.
Following the 1948 football season, Lombardi accepted an assistant's job, at the Earl "Colonel Red" Blaik.
"As integral as religion was to Lombardi's sense of self, it was not until he reached West Point and combined his spiritual discipline with Blaik's military discipline that his coaching persona began to take its mature form." Blaik's emphasis on execution would become a trademark of Lombardi's coaching. Lombardi coached at West Point for five seasons, with varying results.
The 1949 and 1950 seasons were successful. But the 1951 and 1952 seasons were not. because of a cadet academic scandal -- a violation of the Cadet Honor Code -- Sound familiar?
As a result, 43 of 45 members of the varsity football team were discharged "Decades later, looking back on his rise, Lombardi came to regard ." Blaik's decision not to resign "... as a pivotal moment in his own career" - it taught him perseverance.
The team of 1953 however did go on to be 7-1-1, as Lombardi had a bigger role than ever in coaching the team.
Following these five seasons at Army, Lombardi was at a crossroads. He wanted more than anything to be a head coach. And he loved his faith and the college game. Yet, he felt he was restricted from consideration for many jobs because he was an Italian and by some measure, a Catholic.
It was early in the Spring of 1954 and he tried to fulfill his ultimate ambition: apply for the vacant coaching position at Notre Dame.
He never got a response to his letter.
True to his father's advice to support his family, he accepted an assistant coaching position with the New York Giants. It was a big step up but it was not his dream job. He was deeply disappointed and threw himself into this new opportunity.
Lombardi, age 41, began his NFL career in a job that would later become known as the Chicago Bears 47-7
for the league title in 1956. "Howell readily acknowledged the talents of Lombardi and Landry, and joked self-deprecatingly, that his main function was to make sure the footballs had air in them."
Howell wrote numerous recommendations for Lombardi to aid Vince in obtaining a head coaching position. Lombardi continued to apply for head coaching positions at Wake Forest, and again - Notre Dame in 1956 and other universities and, in some cases, never received a reply.
In New York, Lombardi worked on innovative approaches to the game, introducing the strategy of rule blocking where the offensive lineman would block an area, and not necessarily a particular defensive player, as was the norm up to that time. The running back then was expected to run toward any hole that was created. Lombardi referred to this as running to daylight.
Following the 1948 football season, Lombardi accepted an assistant's job, at the Earl "Colonel Red" Blaik.
"As integral as religion was to Lombardi's sense of self, it was not until he reached West Point and combined his spiritual discipline with Blaik's military discipline that his coaching persona began to take its mature form." Blaik's emphasis on execution would become a trademark of Lombardi's coaching. Lombardi coached at West Point for five seasons, with varying results.
The 1949 and 1950 seasons were successful. But the 1951 and 1952 seasons were not. because of a cadet academic scandal -- a violation of the Cadet Honor Code -- Sound familiar?
As a result, 43 of 45 members of the varsity football team were discharged "Decades later, looking back on his rise, Lombardi came to regard ." Blaik's decision not to resign "... as a pivotal moment in his own career" - it taught him perseverance.
The team of 1953 however did go on to be 7-1-1, as Lombardi had a bigger role than ever in coaching the team.
Following these five seasons at Army, Lombardi was at a crossroads. He wanted more than anything to be a head coach. And he loved his faith and the college game. Yet, he felt he was restricted from consideration for many jobs because he was an Italian and by some measure, a Catholic.
It was early in the Spring of 1954 and he tried to fulfill his ultimate ambition: apply for the vacant coaching position at Notre Dame.
He never got a response to his letter.
True to his father's advice to support his family, he accepted an assistant coaching position with the New York Giants. It was a big step up but it was not his dream job. He was deeply disappointed and threw himself into this new opportunity.
Lombardi, age 41, began his NFL career in a job that would later become known as the Chicago Bears 47-7
for the league title in 1956. "Howell readily acknowledged the talents of Lombardi and Landry, and joked self-deprecatingly, that his main function was to make sure the footballs had air in them."
Howell wrote numerous recommendations for Lombardi to aid Vince in obtaining a head coaching position. Lombardi continued to apply for head coaching positions at Wake Forest, and again - Notre Dame in 1956 and other universities and, in some cases, never received a reply.
In New York, Lombardi worked on innovative approaches to the game, introducing the strategy of rule blocking where the offensive lineman would block an area, and not necessarily a particular defensive player, as was the norm up to that time. The running back then was expected to run toward any hole that was created. Lombardi referred to this as running to daylight.
